Comments on: Writers, abandon your muses – they’re a work of fiction!

By: Write for Your Life is one year old today! | Write for Your Life

Write for Your Life is one year old today! | Write for Your Life — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:07:42 +0000

[...] Writers, abandon your muses – they’re a work of fiction! This was my first journey into the blogosphere and remains one of the blog’s most commented [...]

By: Chuck

Chuck — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:51:20 +0000

Heck yeah. The Muse — not a real thing — works for you. You don’t work for her.

*applause*

Great blog, by the way. Just discovering it.

– Chuck
Chuck´s last blog ..Harvest Season: Fresh Table Update

By: (Please) cast your vote for Write for Your Life! | Write for Your Life

(Please) cast your vote for Write for Your Life! | Write for Your Life — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 11:32:44 +0000

[...] we do cover some of the other categories, I think our tendency to offer alternative viewpoints and suggest unusual approaches to writing, I think ‘Creativity’ suits us [...]

By: 10 things to write on in an emergency! » The Write Network

10 things to write on in an emergency! » The Write Network — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:01:56 +0000

[...] you abandon your muse and accept the fact that other commitments in your life will sometimes prevent you from writing, [...]

By: Bitchin' atheist

Bitchin' atheist — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 21:26:12 +0000

@ jeanne "Hell, if you call yourself a writer why wouldn’t you write?" well, because sometimes life gets in the way, for instance when a relative suddenly dies. I am sure I am not the only person to find writing hard under those kind of circumstances? Also there is a difference between only writing once a month, and taking a months break in your writing. They are 2 very different things. Bitchin' atheist’s last blog post: feeling the pinch

By: Chocolate lover

Chocolate lover — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:46:55 +0000

I wandered into your webite while doing research on muses for a short story and was impressed by the topics, the responses and the humour. I’m not one for chatting a lot on the internet because I find it distracts me from doing the actual writing, but I have suscribed to this one!

My own experience with muses is that you don’t wait for them to arrive before commencing work – the very act of sitting down to write and cranking up the brain cells causes them to appear. I have found that I have written some of my best work on days that I started out feeling sluggish and unmotivated.

By: Iain

Iain — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:43:31 +0000

@Jeanne Thanks so much for coming back and telling us more. Exciting news about the two novels!

Working as a full-time copywriter, I’m afraid I have no choice but to write every day and thankfully, we have a wonderful quality team who help avoid any ‘bad’ days.

I definitely think we’re agreeing on some of these points. I think we should look at writing as a process and take responsibility for our work, which is backed up by some of the things you refer to.

Where we perhaps disagree, is in the idea of giving yourself a break, or more specifically, acknowledging that other things in your life may sometimes affect your writing and be more important at that time.

For me, if that happens, not writing is fine and doesn’t make you any less of a writer.

By: Jane_Howitt

Jane_Howitt — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:15:25 +0000

@Jeanne Tomlin

You said:
‘…they won’t be able to tell the difference in the words they had to drag out with pliers from the ones that flowed. And if they can — so what? That’s what editing is for.’

And I say: how very true! There’s no such thing as ‘Good Writing’ only ‘Good RE-WRITING’

Good reading (which is what we’re all aiming for, surely) is definitely in the editing!!

PS: That’s a quote from someone, isn’t it? Can’t remember who…

By: Jeanne Tomlin

Jeanne Tomlin — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 06:10:36 +0000

My background as a writer? It involves writing–non-fiction mostly as a staff writer. I have two novels coming out from small publishers in the next couple of months which are among my first ventures as a fiction writer.

Most of the professionals I know write day in and day out and most will tell you that a few months down the road they won’t be able to tell the difference in the words they had to drag out with pliers from the ones that flowed. And if they can — so what? That’s what editing is for.

Sure, if you want to be a hobbyist (and there’s nothing wrong with being a hobbyist) then you can write once a month. But don’t kid yourself that it won’t impact your growth as a writer.

Personally, I live by Heinlein’s Rules the first of which is YOU MUST WRITE.

Hell, if you call yourself a writer why wouldn’t you write?

By: Bitchin' atheist

Bitchin' atheist — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 02:56:45 +0000

I like the post – it makes me relise that I am not alone when I have days where I simply cannot write anything decent. I have decided, rather than beat myself up about it I will allow myself the time away, and write something better the next time.
I have days where I will write 10,000 words and I have other days where I struggle to form a single sentence. I had never even considered the concept of a muse, I just put it down to mood, health, stress levels or motivation.
Contrary to what some of the other commenters have said I think that it is actually reassuring for a newbie writer like me to hear that everyone has their off days. And contrary to what jeanne said, I would argue that a pianist with any real skills or talents would be able to practice less often than someone who is forcing their art – granted they may not play as well as they are truly able but talent is talent. So I would imagine that a writer could take a months break and still return to write something good.
I would also add that for me, writing is for pleasure – if I am ever published that is just a wonderful bonus.

http://www.whatwouldnikkido.com

Bitchin’ atheist’s last blog post: aches, pains and David Blunkett